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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29241786">Silver and Gold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/unlockthelore/pseuds/unlockthelore'>unlockthelore</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yashahime Route [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, 半妖の夜叉姫 | Hanyou no Yashahime | Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Background Relationships, Courtship, F/M, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, POV Alternating, Some Plot, Time Skips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:26:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29241786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/unlockthelore/pseuds/unlockthelore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>A silver soul hewn from moon's light, a golden heart touched by the sun. Together, may they find peace and harmony in the sky they were destined to share.</i>
</p><p>Neither Rin nor Sesshōmaru are as the world would like them to be, but they are as they wished to be — together and learning everyday how the other sees the world.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yashahime Route [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933459</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Silver and Gold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rin loved so many people, embraced so many things, and changed as the seasons went on - but now, time is slowing to a crawl - stayed by one person's decision.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The song that inspired the first half of this chapter is <b>Tranquil Days</b> by <b>Yasunori Nishiki</b> while the second half was inspired by <b>Destiny and Love</b> by <b>Wada Kaoru</b>.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p> </p><p><b>Chapter One</b> - Anywhere<br/>
<em>You can make a life, no matter where you are, as long as there is safety and love.</em></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Waking at the crack of dawn was nothing new to Rin. Since she’d begun living with Kaede, she’d memorized many of the priestess’ routines and lessons as part of her attempt to allow humanity to earn her trust once more. It became apparent early on that Kaede herself was not like the headman of Kasugayami nor her elders who’d look upon her with disdain, speaking to her as if she were inept then showing anger when she was too slow to respond by <em>their </em>standards. Kaede possessed an almost infinite patience and seemingly limitless understanding, waiting when Rin tripped over her words and gently correcting her mistakes. She never raised a hand to her nor her voice, and when the potential of an argument loomed, the priestess allowed Rin to express herself as needed then exchange words once their heads were clearer.</p><p>She was a paragon of wisdom but also quite stubborn, tongue lined with cutting words and dry wit. Jaken hardly was a match for Rin but Kaede met her word for word. Smart remarks and mischief met with a keen blue eye, and swift apologies. Early on Rin believed Kaede was nigh invincible but she quickly came to understand otherwise. Every morning, the older woman would venture off to her sister’s shrine and make rounds about the village or venture off to others in need of her aid. She was getting on in age, seldom needing Kagome’s help to gather medicinal herbs or answer missives in her stead. Pained moans gritted behind her teeth woke Rin from a sound sleep but she felt no annoyance, only admiration.</p><p>Her decision to accompany Kaede happened one chilly morning where the wet dew slicked her bare feet after she’d forgotten her sandals. The priestess glanced at her once she caught up, breathless and red-faced, then offered her hand until Rin could stand unaided. Not a word was said nor did Kaede dissuade her or wait for her in the following days. But when Rin began to wake to Kaede cooking breakfast for both of them or taking longer to put tack on her horse, she realized her company was appreciated.</p><p>Even when they’d begun to live separately, Rin couldn’t seem to sleep in more than a few minutes past daybreak. Always hurrying to fall in step with Kaede as the older priestess hobbled up the shrine steps, lamenting in a low voice that she wasn’t so feeble that Rin needed to hasten to her side. An age-old argument Rin would happily refute by saying that this was preparation for a time when Kaede <em>would </em>be so feeble she would call on her. A few light swats to her arm sent Rin into a fit of laughter that carried over the dozing village, quiet and peaceful, with only a few villagers milling about drowsily less akin to chatter or seeking out others unless the need was urgent.</p><p>So when a knock at Rin's door roused her out of a light doze, she shot up so quickly that her feet tangled up in her blankets. An embarrassingly long moment passed before they were unwound, but to her relief the person on the other side seemed willing to wait, not knocking again — but making curious sounds.</p><p>Almost like the sniffling of a child.</p><p>Rin smoothed her hands down her front then combed down the flyaways in her bed hair, pulling the door aside to peek out then tugging it open fully. Sango’s eyes widened as the door rattled in its frame, then her brows fell as she relaxed, an upward tugging at her mouth’s corner telling of a smile falling short when a small fist swung through the air.</p><p>It nearly connected with Sango’s chin to Rin’s surprise but she effortlessly avoided it by tipping her head, letting it graze her cheek instead. A fondness warmed her brown eyes as she stared down, drawing Rin’s attention to the pair of sleeping four-year-olds nestled in her arms, identical from their sleeping yukatas to the color and length of their hair, only the frown on one’s face and half-parted lips of the other set them apart.</p><p>Rin eyed Kin’u’s frown worriedly as Sango fussed over her, wondering what she could be dreaming about with such a serious look. Then she smiled gently, watching Sango adjust her hand beneath Gyokuto,caught in a peaceful doze, and unaware of her sister’s plight. She always slept deeply even with the village buzzing around them, Rin could only dream of one day sleeping just as well. A brisk breeze nipped at Rin’s cheeks and only after shuffling around on the shifting gravel did she notice how cold her feet were.</p><p>Sango didn’t seem bothered but she curled her shoulders inward shielding her daughters’ heads with her body. Hiraikotsu clunked lightly as the wind battered against it and Rin was surprised to see it on Sango’s back. Her sword’s hilt nestled in the sash around her waist hitched Rin’s breath and she gasped in realization when the coral plates of her uniform glimmered.</p><p>“Rin,” Sango began, slow and careful, giving Rin a moment to gather herself then meet her eyes. “I’m sorry to ask this of you but…”</p><p>Her next words tipped her tongue but Rin didn’t need to hear them, stepping aside then pointing inward with one shivering finger. “In.”</p><p>Sango’s mouth fell open, then snapped shut, eyes wide and bewildered then shuttered as she bowed her head curtly then entered with a soft “Pardon us…” whispered to the open air. Rin slid the door shut after they were inside, cutting off some of the chill. She swept past Sango hurriedly, trying to keep her footsteps as light as possible to keep from waking the twins. She was glad her bedding hadn’t been put away, but seeing the state of her home, she was also thankful Sango wouldn’t judge her as much.</p><p>The dishes from her last meal were still floating about in a soap-filled bucket, and cinders from the cookfire glowed dimly in the pale dawnlight. Ignoring both, she went to a cabinet pressed against a wall near a small desk she’d laden with different scrolls surrounding one splayed out. Its dark ink hardly perceptible without a light and she felt her temples ache at the sheer <em>thought </em>of trying to comprehend it.</p><p>Sliding open the cabinet door to gather a few more pillows she kept for when the girls wished to stay with her, or Kohaku decided to lay his head in her home, citing that his sister’s house was too loud. There were also the odd visitors like Jaken. She would never make him sleep outside when he could be put up in her own home and while he tried to argue, he’d fall asleep within minutes when tucked into his own bedding. A-Un preferred the outside but stuck their heads through the double-boarded window she kept open, enjoying nipping vegetables she’d feed from her palm. Then there was...</p><p>Rin patted and fluffed the pillows with a little more vigor, laying them out in exchange for her own while she worried her lip between her teeth til it grew hot. This was no time for her to think of <em>him</em>, she reminded herself. Glancing over her shoulder, something in her heart bloomed and withered at the same time as she watched Sango sit with her daughters perched on her thighs.</p><p>Both of them occupied the crook of her arms as Sango combed hair from their faces and shushed them lightly when they stirred. It was almost as if they were infants all over again, and Rin was struck with awe at how quickly Sango took to them unlike some of the new mothers unable to hold their children let alone give comfort.</p><p>Sango raised her head, lips parted then hanging open, snapping Rin out of her stupor when she realized she’d been staring. With the bedding completely fluffed, she walked over on her knees and held out her hands politely for Kin’u. A minute of hesitation from Sango passed without offense or indignation. Rin knew how deeply she loved her daughters, having helped with their births and watched them grow up, she’d begun to learn more about them and Sango as a whole. From how she dressed and behaved, the request she’d tried to voice wouldn’t be an easy one for mother or daughters.</p><p>Sango tipped Kin’u gently into Rin’s arms but the girl began to squirm and flail small fists at the change of hands. Rin’s shushing did little in comparison to Sango’s as Kin’u kicked her legs as children were ought to while in the throes of sleep, finally fisting her hand in the hem of Rin’s yukata when she’d succumbed to sleep after Sango whispered to her softly.</p><p>Gyokuto was much easier for Sango to shift while standing, and together they laid the girls onto the futon then tucked them in. Rin would never cease to be amazed by how far Kin’u and Gyokuto could be from one another only to gravitate toward each other as if they couldn’t stand to be apart. Which, while awake, could sometimes be furthest from the truth.</p><p>Quarrels between the twins brought back memories Rin thought long buried and small sparks of envy as she watched Kin’u flop on her side with an arm around Gyokuto’s middle, while the younger of the two was splayed out, still lost in slumber. Sango petted them both lightly, then dragged the blanket up to their chests. A great deal of strength was needed for Rin to tear her eyes away from the sight, stricken stiff with how nostalgic it all seemed.</p><p>“Thank you, Rin,” Glancing in Sango’s direction, Rin was relieved to see her smile finally meet her eyes and returned it with al ittle one of her own. With a lingering look toward her daughters, Sango stood then wandered over to the pile of firewood stacked by the cabinet. “I’ll get a fire going.”</p><p>Rin’s breath stopped with a soft “huh?” before she waved a hand dismissively, careful to lower her voice when Kin’u trembled then buried her face against Gyokuto’s shoulder. Sango carried over the logs then set them in the hearth, ignoring her plea of, “You don’t have to do that.”</p><p>Once the fire was going, the hut warmed and Rin felt like a small child again when she was sat down near it with a cup of tea in hand. Sango had a way of doing that without even trying. Reminding her of the earlier years when she’d come to the village and everyone did their best to look after her while not hovering awkwardly.</p><p>“Is it that good?”</p><p>So focused on her thoughts, Rin hadn’t heard Sango the first time, simply staring into her teacup. Lifting her head, she blinked at her then cocked her head to one side. “… Huh?”</p><p>“Your tea,” Sango lifted her own cup, hiding her own amused grin. “Is it that good?”</p><p>“Oh!” Rin clapped a hand over her mouth, wincing from her volume then letting it slide down to rest at her chin with a furtive glance toward the girls. “Yes, it is…” She chanced a glance down at its darkened color, swirling with a little swivel of her cup. “Though it smells like one of the ones Miroku brings back from his travels…” They always had such a fragrant scent, almost overwhelming to her nose. She learned to add something to hers - whether it be milk or sugar. How he could drink such bitter-tasting tea would never make sense to her. Sniffing the air, Rin turned her head toward Sango’s belongings. “Are you leaving?”</p><p>“Mm…” Sango hums absentmindedly, and the response is so quick it shocks Rin into facing her but Sango was no longer looking in her direction. Her hooded brown eyes remain on Kin’u and Gyokuto while her fingers idly trace along her cup’s ridged sides. So often Rin saw Sango move with a deadly precision, graceful and confident as if each part of her body knew where to follow the next. She never seemed clumsy or indecisive. A warrior’s strength with a mother’s kindness.</p><p>Beasts felled under her hand or blade were handled swiftly and with little bloodshed, the care taken always leaving Rin in awe. When she discovered what Sango had almost done to her, there was a morbid thankfulness that her death at Sango’s hand would have been painless. But then to see Sango lift her daughters when they ran to greet her, a flash of guilt bittering her smile. The lingering touch of her nose against their hair.</p><p>An apology for a crime out of an act of desperation haunting her whenever she looked into her daughter’s faces. They were half as old as Rin had been at the time, but the irony wasn’t lost. Leaving her daughters in the hands of a young woman whom she’d almost killed to save the man she loved. Rin closed her eyes, taking a measured sip. The tea’s warmth and fragrant scent filled her nose and chased cold from her hands, while repeated understanding filled gaps in her heart. No one else would understand why she chose to forgive Sango but she hoped one day Sango would forgive herself if not for her own sake then for Kin’u and Gyokuto’s.</p><p>The hearth crackled brightly as another log splintered, embers drifting up toward the hut’s roof with a thin trail of smoke. Sango’s voice almost drowned out by its sound as she said, “I received word from Kohaku about our village, it’ll take time to reclaim and cleanse with the sheer number of yōkai and yūrei so we’ve decided to start with reconstructing the seals around the perimeter. It won’t take long, a few days between the two of us, but…”</p><p>“It’s something you have to do,” Rin finished herself as Sango struggled to find the words or push them past her lips. She dragged her knuckles against the ridge of her own cup. “Together, since you two are..” Sango’s gaze snapped up to her and the words halted on Rin’s tongue, tasting bitter as she swallowed them down. A silent plea in Sango’s eyes met with a resigned smile. Perhaps she wasn’t ready to hear that just yet. Amending herself, Rin finished lamely, “The only ones capable right now.”</p><p>Silence lingered between them. Sango’s apprehension chipped apart just like each strip of wood peeled from the heated logs. In another life, Rin wondered if Kin’u and Gyokuto might have followed their mother’s path and been raised as members of a people who would have watched over them and taught them the art of slaying demons, exercising spirits, and cleansing the land of malevolence. An impossibility now as that clan of proud warriors was gone far too soon, in a manner unbefitting of the respectful death they deserved..</p><p>One day, Rin knew the twins would ask of their mother and uncle’s family. Explanations of their uncle’s grief would coincide with memories of his absences during their childhood. Why he kept them at arms length when they greeted him so warmly. Not even returning to their family home to see his own sister immediately upon returning. When Sango sipped from her tea, Rin lowered her eyes. She hoped this time spent alone with Kohaku would bring them closer.</p><p>She loved them both dearly, but she tired of keeping their secrets while they hurt one another in their silence. Their love for one another ran deep but the guilt was thicker and choking veins of affection, constricted and unable to flow. Kohaku’s shivering form came to mind when Rin glanced over at her desk. Nights spent pouring over the scroll she was enraptured with were interrupted by his pleas to ghosts she could not see.</p><p>Shuffling over to his side, Rin was careful not to startle him. Unsurprised when she noticed he hadn’t used the futon she prepared for him. It was a struggle insisting he use a <em>blanket </em>at the very least. His nails scratched against the floorboards til their tips turned red, and Rin smelt blood. Quickly taking up his hand in her own as he called out for his sister, squeezing his fingers while he held her own in a vice until exhaustion swept him under consciousness’ veil. They never spoke of it in the morning, Kohaku washing the blood from his hands in silence. Allowing Rin to sweep him up in a hug and hold him tight while he trembled against her like a leaf.</p><p>A man of twenty-two years still attempting to atone from acts nearly a decade old. Ones that were not his will, but done by his hand.</p><p>Rin sighed, remembering how often Sango stalled before touching her when she was a little girl or how Sango winced when scolding for something she had done. The hurt in Sango’s eyes as Rin comforted her, telling her how safe she felt with Sango there to protect her. Distance purposefully placed between them as the older woman wrestled with her own guilt, naivety and desperation as she said bitterly upon apologizing for the umpteenth time. Never had it crossed Rin’s mind that something happened before - something she wasn’t aware of - a crime Sango hadn’t committed but carried the weight of knowing she might have.</p><p>Perhaps she and Kohaku were more alike than they realized, Rin thought, turning back to Sango just as the older woman began running her fingers through the twins’ hair. A smile touched Rin’s lips and she sighed. That they could be like this now made her smile. A step in the right direction.</p><p>“I’ll look after Kin’u-chan and Gyokuto-chan until you return,” Rin promised after setting her teacup aside. Sango perked up, looking up at her from the other side of the flames, her eyes almost glowing orange. The color reflected on her armor plates, so different from the clothes she wore everyday. Rin could only wonder how Miroku would feel to return home to his wife and daughters gone, the former’s armor also displaced. Furrowing her brow, she added softly, “And tell Miroku where you’ve gone when he returns with Inuyasha.”</p><p>Sango winced, setting down her own tea cup then cupping her hands in her lap as she bowed her head. “I’m sorry for asking this of you, with Kagome and Kaede-sama gone, I know…”</p><p>“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Rin assured hurriedly. “Please, raise your head, it’s fine..” When Sango lifted her head, Rin sighed with relief then closed her fist and bent her arm at the elbow. Her free hand clasped against her forearm as she grinned. “I can take care of the village while you’re all away <em>and </em>look after Kin’u-chan and Gyokuto-chan without a doubt.”</p><p>Sango smiled faintly, covering her mouth with a small puff of laughter. “I’ll leave it to you then..” Sweeping a lock of hair behind her ears, she murmured airily, “By the way..”</p><p>Rin paused in the middle of picking up her tea cup, glancing up at her. “Hm?”</p><p>“Where did you get that from?” Sango flicked a finger and Rin looked toward her desk.</p><p>Rin chuckled sheepishly, scratching her cheek. “Oh, uhm..” She looked heavenward hoping that an answer would fall from the ceiling but none did and nothing came to the top of her head. Sango hummed curiously, tilting her head as she took an <em>entirely </em>non-judgemental sip of her tea. Defeated, Rin bowed her head with a sigh. “Well...”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When Gyokuto and Kin’u arrived on Rin’s doorstep bearing big, watery eyes and wobbly lips in a bid to make her play with them, she couldn’t refuse. Their games were harmless fun and distractions that made all the troubles of adulthood fall away. Rin’s work wasn’t boring but she was used to the routine of it all tending to finish quickly when she lost herself in the motions or became distracted by something nearby. Miroku met them once Rin corralled the girls away from her home and toward the roads overlooking the river. Walking across the bridge below, he was easily spotted if not by his robes then the loose dark hair brushing against his shoulders. Kin’u and Gyokuto recognized him immediately, racing down to greet him with cries of “Papa!” as they threw themselves into his waiting arms.</p><p>His face lit up but he reprimanded them for running across the bridge, worried they would fall in. Rin followed their path down the path’s incline and waved to him happily while the girls played beneath his robes.</p><p>“You’re looking after them today, Rin?” Miroku asked, lifting an arm when Kin’u bumped into his leg then twisted around to chase Gyokuto to the other. He rolled his eyes fondly at their bickering while Rin giggled behind her hand, concealing smiling lips.</p><p>“They insisted I take a break because their father said breaks are important,” Rin cocked her head, pretending to mull it over. “So if I’m behind on my duties..” Her finger flicked toward him accusingly. “Wouldn’t that be your fault, Hōshi-sama?”</p><p>“I don’t see how exercising a bit of good will would be worthy of blame.” Miroku folded his arms in a bid to look as indignant as possible but with two giggling children running around his legs, it was a little difficult to take seriously. His face fell as Rin laughed, her hand slipping below her chin barely keeping her head up as she leant over trying her best not to be <em>too </em>loud. He sighed dramatically, stepping backward. Violet rippled over the twins’ heads to their awe-filled gasps then dismayed cries as they chased after their father past Rin. A light pat to the top of Rin’s head brought her laughter to a halt. Turning sharply on her heel, she caught the tilt of Miroku’s lips before he turned forward making a game of racing up the slope with his daughters at his heels. At its crest, they <em>caught </em>him. Rewarded with a kiss to the forehead then affectionate whispers, likely warnings of what they shouldn’t do while away from him and their mother. Both girls replied too quickly for his words to be heeded but Miroku sent them on their way, looking down upon Rin with a faint smile.</p><p>The twins barreled into her legs, tugging at her skirts while begging she hurry lest their father give another reprimand. Looking back to Miroku, Rin waved gently then turned away with her hands grasped in the twins’ smaller ones as they led her across the bridge.</p><p>An afternoon whittled by while making flower crowns and teaching the pair how to forage in the woods. Foot races through familiar parts of the forest and upon muddy river banks leaving Rin breathless with laughter while the girls trailed ahead, cheering at their victories. Once she was no longer a contender, the battle returned to sister versus sister. Kin’u’s loud squeal echoed down the river bank as she gained an edge over Gyokuto. Their small footprints carved wet tracks through the mud, leading Rin to them even when they vanished from her sight. With the village still visible past the river tinged pink by the setting sun and Inuyasha’s home not too far away - they were safe as could be.</p><p>A cool, gentle breeze drifted past Rin from the forest, sending shivers down her ankles to the sole of her bare feet blessedly warmed in their mudded mold. Her hair rippled on a following gust, whipping westward and falling in her eyes, squeezed shut to avoid dirt gritting on her eyelashes. Her mind must have been truly absent for her to forget her hair tie and with the length of it now, windy days were a bit of a nuisance. The wind combed the swell of her hair to one side with its thin, cold teeth. Before she could try and defy it, a light touch brushed against the corner of her lips. Unlike the wind, intangible and free-flowing, this presence was solid and following a familiar path. One point of contact turned to four, grazing the curve of her cheek while catching stray locks, a fifth point lingering on her jaw while the four others tucked her hair behind her ear. A sharp touch — a claw tip, her mind told her — traced the shell of her ear, tracking with softer fingertips down the underside of her earlobe, nerves sparking heat traveling up from her neck to her face. A dangerous gentle path traced along her jawline to her chin where it vanished with an unspoken request for her head to be lifted.</p><p>Rin complied thoughtlessly, slowly opening her eyes. She gasped in realization when she came face to chest with someone but the initial rush of panic dissipated immediately upon noticing a familiar chest concealed by dark iron plates lined with steel grey spikes. Another light breeze swayed red tassels tied on either side of the chest piece, the threads dancing playfully then coming to rest as if unwilling to lie unruly lest they upset their wearer. And it was their wearer who captured her attention, unable to look him in the eye without almost looking to the sky. Golden eyes gaze down upon her like the sun with a hint of amusement at the frustration that must have shown on her face.</p><p>She cursed his height to Mount Hakuei and back, lamenting how small she felt in comparison to him even when they stood side by side. In the past she’d say there wasn’t much of a difference, but knowing how tall her mother had been as a fully grown woman, Rin knew she would grow no more than this while <em>he </em>seemed unchanging - she wondered if he was truly fully grown or not.</p><p>The angle of his eyes shifted and Rin realized that he’d tipped his head ever so slightly “Ah…” Rin closed her eyes and scratched at her temple sheepishly, the pair of sandals hooked on her fingertips bumping against her wrist. “Where are my manners…” She smiled gently, bringing her hands behind her back, her empty palm wrapping around her opposite wrist. “It’s good to see you, Sesshōmaru-sama, and thank you for saving me from my hair.”</p><p>Upon opening her eyes Rin expected her smile not to be returned or her jest to be received with palpable amusement. His facial expressions tended to be reserved for a myriad of situations such as battle, terrifying Jaken, antagonizing Inuyasha, or showing displeasure toward his mother’s antics, but they were unneeded between the two of them. Rin didn’t need to see him smiling to know he was happy to see her.</p><p>But she met his gaze, and that one fact was annulled.</p><p>In the fading sunlight, those twin suns melted into liquid gold painting her skin in warm strokes as his gaze trailed from the top of her head to her feet. Rin’s cheeks pinked when she glanced down at the mud caked between her toes. <em>This </em>had been a new development. Somewhat like what she saw when she was a child. The way he would look at her over his shoulder then return to what he was doing. There was always an air of contentment but she couldn’t understand why. In the beginning, she froze whenever he looked at him, worried that a hit would come or she’d finally overstepped and would be yelled at. But his words were never more than an even tone, gentle and firm.</p><p>Now though, she wasn’t sure what it was. He wasn’t smiling but it seemed the closest to a smile she would see from him at least with others nearby and the village in plain view. His lips parted though before he could utter even a sound, a pair of shrieks interrupted him and shattered the tranquility between them to Rin’s surprise. His mouth snapped shut with a slight downward twitch at its corners, gaze sliding from hers to the right as if he were going to glimpse over his shoulder, Rin could hardly muffle a snort behind her hand then. Fingers clamped tight around her mouth when his focus returned to her from the corner of his eye, narrowed into thin slits she felt no danger from at all.</p><p>Only a mild annoyance at being interrupted along with the potential of a conversation being impeded. Which was understandable, the twins were positively <em>in love </em>with his fur and him as a result. Whenever they were in his presence, it was difficult to stand beside him let alone speak to him with how earnestly they tried to <em>catch </em>him. Jaken’s scoldings went unheeded as did Miroku and Sango warding them away from hanging off Sesshōmaru as if he were their newest demonic playmate in the absence of Kirara, Shippo or Inuyasha. It didn’t help that his silence and subtle steps out of grabbing range made it more of a game to the pair than a show of discomfort. Rin wondered why it is that he didn’t tell them firmly to leave him be as he often did to her as a child when her antics grated at his nerves.</p><p>The only possibility would be that he’d grown fond of the pair but she dared not to say so out loud. Brushing her hand down her chin, Rin cleared her throat then put on the most innocent look she could possibly muster. “You don’t have to worry, Sesshōmaru-sama,” his look of disbelief almost made her lose her composure but she forged on with a light smile. “They wanted to do another foot race and I’m out of the competition, I doubt anything short of a fall will make them call for me.”</p><p>His expression smoothed out though he clearly seemed in no rush to start speaking again. Comforting him would take a moment but with the distance between them and the girls, Rin didn’t really have the time. She walked past him, calling “Let’s go?” over her shoulder. Lowering her hands to her sides, the sandals’ straw soles brushed against her legs and swayed with each step she took. Mud squelched beneath her feet, slick and molding around the shape of her foot, sucking her in, then flinging bits of grass and dirt when she kicked her feet out to take another step. Her tracks were deeper than the girls but beside them, they were larger. Rin smiled then glanced to her right when she noticed a colorful pattern, and silken fabric dancing at the corner of her eye. It didn’t surprise her so much that he was walking with her, but if it hadn’t been for his clothes or the smoothness of his gait, she wouldn’t have even noticed he was <em>there</em>.</p><p>Although the fact that he stayed made clear that his intention to speak with her wouldn’t be delayed even by two adorable interlopers. Rin smiled to herself, imagining the trail of warmth left where his fingers brushed her skin. He was always efficient in his actions but that was languid, thoughtful. The heel of her hand brushed against her earlobe as she teased a few stray hairs poking from behind it, sneaking a peek at him then startling when his eyes met her own. His brow arced subtly giving voice to his unspoken question Rin heard but had no intention of answering. Their interlocking gaze remained until she hopped over a sunken stone in her path, hopping forward on one foot. Looking back with a little smile, she was hardly surprised to see him looking at her. Nonplussed, but attentive.</p><p>Well, at least he wasn’t lost in his own head but this level of quietness was different. He at <em>least </em>said one word in greeting and not even Kin’u or Gyokuto’s interruption would have thwarted that. When he fell in step beside her, Rin looked away to the river set ablaze by the setting sun with a swirl of pink almost reflecting the afternoon sky. “Inuyasha should be home by now,” Rin mused aloud, turning her attention toward him. A slight wrinkle between his brows at the mention of his brother told her that it wasn’t Inuyasha who was the focus of his visit, nor was he interested in hearing about him. Still, she couldn’t help but want to <em>try</em> at the least.</p><p>“I was going to have dinner with them, if you’d like to come along, milord.”</p><p>Sesshōmaru didn’t <em>balk</em> per se, nor did he make grating noises of disgust but his chest swelled as if he were trying to gather as much air and patience as he could before uttering succinctly, “No.”</p><p>Rin sighed internally, half-expecting that response but not with as much.. hesitancy. It almost sounded like a sigh. So he <em>was </em>bothered by something perhaps it was what he wanted to speak to her about before. Her nose wrinkled as she thought on it, decidedly looking away from him so he couldn’t blatantly see the path her mind was taking. Somedays, it felt as if he could read her mind while others she wasn’t so sure he understood her at all.</p><p>His visits had been irregular in the last few months but she’d learned over the years not to expect him. He was constantly changing like the days’ passing and she cherished every second they spent together. Though it wasn’t as if she heard <em>nothing </em>of him. Jaken had taken to sending letters asking of her well-being or arriving on saddleback with A-Un to see her himself. Even though the kappa brought gifts saying they were from Sesshōmaru, the variety of them were much different than what their lord gave her. In fact, she hardly remembered mentioning such things to Sesshōmaru at all. The number of times he’d been to her home were uncountable, perhaps Jaken told him something or as she’d begun to wonder after bringing up the matter to Sesshōmaru once, the <em>recent </em>gift-giving may not have been his idea at all.</p><p>Jaken would never admit it out loud that he adored her but that was half of the fun in knowing.</p><p>However, after Kaede’s home had almost been filled to its brim with expensive presents, Rin <em>had </em>asked for the gift-giving to lessen. She worried Sesshōmaru would have taken offense while Jaken voiced clearly their lord’s intention only to receive a boot to the head. Then, those golden eyes turned on her and Sesshōmaru asked clearly, “Do they not please you, Rin?”</p><p>It dawned on her then how different their lives were, she’d been born to a fishing village and didn’t have much even before her family’s demise. All she wanted was a full belly, a place to lay her head, and somewhere nice to play. Those desires hadn’t changed much in adulthood but a few more were added.</p><p>“If you would return now and again, I would want for nothing more, Sesshōmaru-sama.”</p><p>He’d been so still then that she almost thought him turned to stone while Jaken squinted between them, then gaped up at her. Since then, Sesshōmaru seldom visited her with Jaken and A-Un in tow - only him bringing himself. But now the length between his visits were shortening rather than every few months, it was every few weeks, then every few days. She joked about simply asking him to stay in the village, and Inuyasha nearly tripped over his feet in mid-sprint. His ears twitching madly while he refused to meet her eyes, muttering how bold or stupid she might be for asking that of an inuyōkai so easily.</p><p>“Rin.”</p><p>His voice cut through her thoughts and only a quick glance in his direction saved her from running into his chest. The idea of those spikes poking her made Rin rub her forehead sympathetically to soothe faux pain, looking up at him curiously. Though his body faced her, his head was turned to one side as if observing something over his shoulder. She scooted to the right to see as well. Kin’u and Gyokuto walked side by side up the bridge, completely engrossed in conversation. Rin could barely make out what they were saying but their smiles made her smile as well.</p><p>“It’s good that they’re getting along,” Rin said, her unspoken wish for another pair of siblings to do the same hovering in the air.</p><p>If Sesshōmaru noticed, he didn’t say. Rin glanced up at him watching as his lips parted then pressed together with a light huff of frustration. Rare for him but also telling of inner turmoil, and with the girls coming closer, she doubted they’d have enough time to speak of it all. Rin sighed, setting a hand on her hip. “Milord, if there’s something troubling you..”</p><p>He looked at her then, so quickly that his hair shifted from the quick snap of his head turning to face her. Silver strands drifted over his eyes, bright as a flame, drawing her in and scorching thought from mind with every passing second. One hand slipped into the fold of his kimono only to retreat shortly after with a scroll clutched delicately in his grasp. Without thinking, Rin set the girls’ sandals on the soft grass beside them then cupped her hands allowing him to lay the scroll in her palms. The back of it felt smooth and cold despite it being so close to his body. Perhaps he flew with it, she wondered, eyeing the silken silver cord keeping it tied.</p><p>“Interesting…” she whispered, turning it upright so the stave would face her, its knob inscribed with several hexagonal shapes. “What does this mean, Sesshōmaru-sama?”</p><p>She pointed to it then eyed his sleeves. The pattern was the same.</p><p>“A symbol of my lineage,” he said, and she could hear a whisper of pride in his voice from how brazenly he said those words. She almost wanted to smile until she remembered that Inuyasha never wore this symbol. Was he not considered part of Sesshōmaru’s family?</p><p>Her brow furrowed as she turned over the scroll again, looking down at it to hide her dismay. “This seems expensive, milord…”</p><p>“It is my own.”</p><p>Rin was surprised, not only by how quickly he broke the silence but by what he said. She’d never known him as someone interested in literature as no story she told seemed to interest him outside of her thoughts on them. He held her gaze and for a moment it felt as if the world was stopped with only the two of them free to move as they wished. Sesshōmaru closed his eyes, siphoning heat from Rin’s body just as a breathy sigh slipped past her lips. Then his eyes opened and she was unable to take another breath, pinned in place by the steady intensity of his gaze.</p><p>“Now, it is yours.”</p><p>“But.. “ Rin tried to wrap her mind around this to no avail. This wasn’t a present he commissioned from some poor artisan pressed into meeting his impossibly high standards to impress her, or fetched by Jaken, but <em>his</em>. A symbol of his family. Her lips moved but the only words to pass through were half-whispered, and so airy Rin wondered if the way his ears twitched was to hear her better. “What is…”</p><p>“Rin-nee-chan!”</p><p>While Rin startled and held the scroll to her racing heart for dear life, Sesshōmaru merely slanted a glance over his shoulder. Rin leant past him amazed by the blur of green and pink rushing up the riverbank. Kin’u was in the lead again, her hand outstretched with a tugging grasp on Gyokuto’s sleeve. A sweet grin stretched from ear to ear loosened a bubble of anxiousness in Rin’s throat, and she waved back with a tiny smile of her own.</p><p>Then, Kin’u’s attention drifted and her eyes grew impossibly wide as she yelped, “Gyo, look!”, tugging her sister forward with a hard yank that almost sent her stumbling head over heels. Gyokuto shot a venomous glare with some not-so-kind words lingering behind her pouting lips until she followed where Kin’u’ pointed, gasping so loudly that Rin could hear even with the distance between them. “Fluffy!”</p><p>Rin bit back a laugh, bringing up a hand to cover her mouth while Sesshōmaru huffed through his nose. She glimpsed a sliver of gold out the corner of his eye before he turned forward meeting her gaze for all of a moment. While the girls’ interruption was ill-timed and there was so much more she wanted to ask him, the way he looked at her felt <em>different</em>. As if he were seeing her for the first time and coming to a conclusion of what he thought all at once - something tender, conscientious and all too fleeting. He swept past her without another word and Rin braced her hands to her chest wondering if he could hear her heart.</p><p>Stumbling backward, she turned in time to see him take to the skies without a single backward glance ascending until he was almost a blur against the late afternoon sunbeams. Like a silver beacon that would disappear from sight once she blinked.</p><p>Rin started at the sound of panting, heavy and deep. Two pairs of feet slapping against mud and grass as the sound encroached and small hands grasped at her skirts, tugging to steady their tripping, breathless bearers. Gyokuto let out a cry of dismay, flattening herself against the side of Rin’s legs. “Where is he going, Rin-nee-chan?” She whined, tightening her arms around Rin’s thigh while Kin’u grasped her sleeve and tugged irritably.</p><p>Tearing her gaze away from her lord’s silhouette, Rin reached down to pat the girls’ heads with her empty hand but Kin’u shrugged off her touch with a full-bodied shake. Sweat glistening on her pinked skin as she cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling to the sky, “Come back, Fluffy!”</p><p>Perhaps Miroku was right and the twins were as brave as Sango. No one in their right mind across the land or perhaps the entire world would ever call Sesshōmaru ‘fluffy’, at least not without a repercussion short of death. Rin’s shoulders trembled. Though she was laughing in her heart, she softened her voice and pressed a hand to Kin’u’s heated cheek, coaxing her to lean against her side. “Kin’u-chan, don’t call him that..”</p><p>Disappointed that Sesshōmaru did not return at her beckon, Kin’u hung her head and joined her sister in clinging to Rin’s legs. “But he <em>is</em>, Rin-nee-chan..” Gyokuto nodded in time with her sister’s words, their watery brown eyes tugging at Rin’s heartstrings.</p><p>Crouching down, Rin gathered them to her side and held them close with an arm around their backs. “I know,” she cooed, picking a blade of grass from Gyokuto’s hair and brushing a few grains of dirt from Kin’u’s cheek. The scroll shifted uncomfortably in her palm cramping her fingers but the girls came first. Both of them seeking comfort from her while tossing longing looks up to the sky where Sesshōmaru could no longer be seen beyond the clouds. “He’s fluffy, and he’s quite kind, isn’t he?”</p><p>Kin’u nodded first, then Gyokuto second.</p><p>“<em>But </em>we can’t let him know that he is fluffy <em>or</em> kind.”</p><p>The twins looked at one another, heads tilted in opposite directions as if they were two sides of a mirror. Rin tried not to let her composure break when they looked back at her at the same time. She hoped they could always be together even if they wouldn’t stay like this forever.</p><p>She pressed a finger to her lips and winked, whispering, “He's a little shy.”</p><p>Kin’u gasped while Gyokuto shushed her with a finger to her lips, her sister sticking out her tongue then mimicking Rin as well. They made faces at one another in earnest while Rin stood up, brushing dirt and grass from her skirts then tucking away the scroll.</p><p>“What’s that, Rin-nee-chan?” Gyokuto asked, tugging at her skirt while Rin straightened out its bulge.</p><p>“A scroll.”</p><p>Kin’u stood on her tiptoes, trying to peek under Rin’s sleeve. “Of what? It looked like the ones Papa and Mama read.”</p><p>“I don’t know yet,” Rin said, wiggling her fingers for the girls to take after she gathered up their shoes. She wheeled them down the bank’s grassy slope toward the water, fielding their questions and suggestions as she waded into the shallows with them. “Why don’t I tell you when I do?”</p><p>That seemed to satisfy them and the promise was temporarily forgotten as she helped them clean their feet, listening to their giggling over the lapping water as they splashed around. Miroku met them on their way back, carrying a basket filled to the brim with herbs, a variety of colorful stems and leaves attracting the girls’ attention away from inquiring about Rin’s gift. They raced to their father, nearly knocking into old man Saburo, carrying a sack of rice as he ambled slowly past Miroku. The monk’s quick steps intercepting the twins before they could ram into Saburo's back. The girls greeted him unapologetically, peeking from behind their father's legs while Saburo's laughter was wheezing and deep as he greeted them in kind.</p><p>“Sesshōmaru came?” Miroku asked when Rin came closer, hearing the twins begin to tell Saburo of their day in earnest detail despite his unasking. “The girls mentioned he brought you something.”</p><p>“Mm, maybe you would know more about it..” She slipped the scroll from her sleeve but Miroku hesitated in taking it. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>He squinted between her and the scroll then hummed, muttering, “Perhaps you should look at it first.”</p><p>“Eh?”</p><p>A small smile touched his lips reminding her of when he was a younger man, insisting on speaking to her as if she were an equal. Kind albeit a little silly and hiding <em>something</em> whether another lesson or a secret he intended for her to learn on her own.</p><p>“Kin’u, Gyokuto,” Miroku called over his shoulder, startling both girls who were attempting to lift the sack much to Saburo’s amusement. “Come along, your mother is going to be waiting for us.”</p><p>“Okay!” Both girls yelled, lowering the sack then apologizing to the elder with little bows he waved off. Gyokuto hurried past first, yelling, “Bye, Rin-nee-chan!” while Kin’u followed after calling for her not to forget her promise.</p><p>Rin sighed, tucking the scroll away then waving to him. As Saburo struggled to pick up the sack behind her, Rin perked up then hurried over to his side. “One moment, let me help you.”</p><p>Saburo squinted up at her then hummed, "<em>Ah</em>, Rin-chan..!"</p><p>Rin smiled. "Afternoon, you should be careful with your back."</p><p>He chuckled hoarsely, muttering "Yes, yes.." with a slow nod. His cloudy, brown eyes widened as he hefted the sack over her shoulder effortlessly. "My, my.."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Sango lowered her tea cup, sighing softly. “I see,” she looked at Rin sympathetically, lifting the kettle when she held out her teacup. “That does sound confusing.. Sesshōmaru’s gifts are normally practical, what would you need with a map of the islands?”</p><p>“Islands?” Rin echoed back, sipping from her cup. She traveled from one corner of the land to the other as a child but never stopped to think of where she’d been. It was fun, she was safe and amongst those who cared for her. To go anywhere with them would have been fine. “You mean, there’s more lands than this one?”</p><p>Sango nodded then gestured toward her desk with a nod. “May I?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Sango set down her tea cup then stood up, walking over to her desk. Rin’s heart leapt into her throat as she watched her go. What had he been thinking giving her something like that? Ordinarily, she had no issue with his presents because they were as Sango said - practical, useful, something he was sure she would appreciate or need. This was <em>important</em>. No wonder she couldn’t make sense of it. Her disbelief ballooned into a bubble popped by Sango’s appearance at her side, kneeling down with the scroll unfurled. Dark ink glistened in the firelight and Rin hastily set down her own cup, running her hands along her lap in case they weren’t dried. Sango waited patiently, handing her one end of the scroll while she held the other. Her finger lightly grazed beautiful calligraphy as she read names Rin had never heard of before, though some she recognized from her travels or in passing conversation.</p><p>“There’s five main islands, and several smaller ones,” Sango explained. “Different human settlements which may be these.. I believe this is where we are..” She tapped a lighter dot surrounded by a forest and empty spaces Rin deduced were the plains and fields. “But there are also demon territories, which I believe hold importance to Sesshōmaru seeing as he <em>is </em>a lord.”</p><p>Rin nodded along, trying to clear the encroaching fog before she lost herself entirely. “Tōtōsai-sama said Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru-sama’s father was the Beast King of the West.”</p><p>“Mm, I heard the same.. the Inu no Taishō.. so his territory would be here..” Sango pointed to a far side of the map, much further than their village was. Rin’s brow furrowed. If he were to be lord of such a large territory, then why would he be further to the east so constantly? “Then, there’s the Beast King of the East.”</p><p>Rin perked up at that. “What?”</p><p>“The clan elders taught us of a hierarchy among yōkai founded upon blood and martial prowess,” Sango prefaced ominously, firelight illuminating half of her face while the rest was defined by shadows creeping nervousness into Rin’s stomach. “in the lands to the west, the inuyōkai known as the Inu no Taishō waged wars against other yōkai and established himself as the land's steward. But such a title was only his to claim if he could rival the Lord of the East, Kirinmaru.”</p><p>Then how old <em>was </em>Sesshōmaru, Rin wondered. For his father to have existed so long ago and for him to have been walking this land, did he know of Kirinmaru as well? Now that his father was gone, would he have to stand against him? Her concern must have shown on her face because Sango patted her arm gently, giving a reassuring smile.</p><p>“It’s alright, Rin. Kirinmaru predated even the Lord of the West, and he's only a legend now. My mother used to tell it to me as a child, of a kirin that would gallop through the skies during thunderstorms, striking down the wicked - both yōkai and human - benevolent but judgmental. It <em>is</em> a little funny, she believed yōkai and humans could co-exist before any other member of our clan, even me." Sango trailed off with a mournful look, making Rin swallow her fear to hold her hand in return. She stiffened under her touch then loosened up, pulling her hand away gently.</p><p>"The world is constantly changing after all and so are people..” She took the end of the scroll Rin held in her slackened grasp, beginning to roll it up with an amused chuckle. “I think Sesshōmaru has changed plenty if this is any evidence.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Rin asked, holding out her hands when Sango handed the scroll to her.</p><p>“This map is key to his ambition, a future he was <em>prepared </em>to achieve, but he gave it to <em>you</em>,” She pressed the scroll purposefully in her palms and though it was so light in appearance, it felt heavy in Rin’s hands. “Maybe what he wants has changed.”</p><p>Sango left shortly after, but Rin had no words to offer her aside from well-wishes and assurance her daughters were in good hands. The weight of the scroll’s purpose simultaneously made her chest tight and her body float. As Rin watched Sango melt away into the trees, she turned the taijiya's words over and over in her mind, examining them from every angle.</p><p>What could he possibly gain from laying his future in her hands?</p>
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